Invalid&#39;s chair



Jan. 16, 1968 E. 3. GROSS 3,363,939

INVALID'S CHAIR Filed Aug. 12, 1966 United States Patent 3,363,939INVALIDS CHAIR Eshcol S. Gross, 3320 /2 N. Delmar Ave., South SanGabriel, Calif. 91777 Filed Aug. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 572,044 Claims. (Cl.297116) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This chair has arm rests which arepivotally secured to the back of the chair so that they can be rotatedinto an inoperative position. It also has bridge supporting members ateach side of the chair. Each bridge supporting member has a bridge whichis normally in a vertical position and which can be moved to ahorizontal position when the arm rests are in inoperative position. Theback of the chair is pivoted near its lower edge so that it can berotated into a horizontal position.

This invention relates to furniture, and more particularly, to thatpiece of furniture known as a chair, and still more particularly, to achair especially designed for use by invalids.

While there are any number of good invalid chairs on the market, so faras is known, not one of them embodies construction that permits the backto be placed in a horizontal position and the arms to be folded downwardin order that the chair can be converted into a gurney for ease inmoving a person from a bed to the chair.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide aninvalids chair of the character herein described, that has both foldingback and arms that will permit the chair to be converted into a cot orstretcher.

Another object of this invention is to provide an invalids chair of thecharacter herein described that contains a minimum number of parts ofsimple construction that will not bind or become inoperative.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an invalids chairof lhe character described that may be constructed of any desiredmaterial and/or combinations of material and equipped with wheels andbrakes, if it is so desired, without affecting the basic structure ofthe invention.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will come tomind as the reading of the description of its construction proceeds andthe appended drawing is examined.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front view of this invention of an invalids chair.

FIG. 2 is a side view of this invention of an invalids chair with thearms shown in a folded position in dash lines.

IG. 3 is a top view of this invention of an invalids chair.

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of this invention of an invalids chair withone arm and the back shown in a horizontal position in dash lines.

In the drawing, like parts are indicated throughout the several views bymeans of like reference numbers.

This invention of an invalids chair comprises four vertically disposedsupporting legs 11 which may or may not be provided with supportingwheels. Each leg 11 has its upper end suitably secured to one end of alaterally disposed rail 12. There are obviously two rails, only thefront one is shown in the drawing, the rails being in equal and parallelspaced relation to one another A back 13, that is a solid panel, isswingably secured at each side of the chair at the intersection of theupper end of one of the aforesaid legs and one end of one of thePatented Jan. 16, 1968 aforesaid rails 12. This point of attachment ofthe back to the chair is indicated in the drawing by the referencenumber 14.

A rectangular member, which I personally call a bridge 15, is located oneach side of the chair between two of the aforesaid legs 11, as one canclearly see by looking at the drawing. Here it is also seen in FIGURES land 4 that the lower edge of each bridge 15 terminates in an upturnedinverted U-shaped member 16 that hooks over the top of the longitudinalmember which is connected at 7 each end to the upper end of one of thelegs 11. Each aforesaid bridge 15 has its U-shaped member 16 normallyresting in the bottom of the bridge enclosure 17 except when the bridgeis placed in the horizontal position shown in dash lines in FIGURE 4 ofthe drawing. An arm rest 18, that is L-shaped when viewed from the side,has its front end terminating in a hook 19 while the rear end projectsback beyond the aforesaid back 13 of this invention where the arm restis provided with an opening through which extends one end of thelaterally disposed, U-shaped rod 20 which has each outer end inwardlyturned and terminating in a recess in a lug 21, or its equivalent. Thelug 21 is suitably secured to, or built into, the aforesaid back 13 ofthe chair. This unique construction permits the aforesaid arm rest 18 tobe swung downward out of the way of the rest of the chair when it is sodesired to place a person in the chair or to remove him from it. Thereare obviously two arm rests 18, one on each side of the chair. They areadapted to fit over the top of the upper edge 22 of the aforesaid bridge15 when the bridge is in a vertical position. Looking at FIG- URE 4 ofthe drawing again, it will be seen that the aforesaid hook 19 of eacharm rest 18 is adapted to engage the front edge 23 of the seat 24, thusfirmly holding the arm rest in the normal position shown in the oftenmentioned FIGURE 4 of the drawing.

This invention of an invalids chair may be equipped with a front bridgepanel of similar construction as that of the two side bridges althoughthis feature of the invention is not shown in any of the four views forreasons of clarity.

The way in which this invention can have its bridges 15. extendedhorizontally and its back let down to a horizontal position is quiteclear when one examines FIGURE 4 of the drawing where only one of thebridges 15 is shown in the just mentioned horizontal position.Obviously, the arm rest 18 must be swung back out of the way before thedesired bridge can be rotated horizontally. Obviously, the seat 24 mustbe provided with a recess in each side thereof in order to permit eachof the bridges to fit into the normal vertical position between the legs11 of the chair and to be swung into the previously mentioned horizontalposition when it is desired to move a person in and out of the chairfrom or to a bed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to makeall changes and modifications coming within the scope of the inventionas defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention of an invalids chair, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An invalids chair of the character described, comprising fourvertically disposed legs suitably secured to two laterally disposedspaced and parallel rails supporting a seat; and a back that is normallyin a vertical position, the said back being swingably secured at thelower edge and at each side thereof to one of the said rails; and armrests on each side thereof which arm rests are pivotally mounted topermit movement to an inoperative position; and a solid rectangularbridge that is located directly under each of the said arm rests, eachbridge having means for securement to the side of the chair to extendoutwardly in a horizontal position when so desired.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein each of the said arm rests is anL-shaped member having its front end terminating in a hook adapted tohook onto the front edge of the said seat when the said arm rests are innormal position for use.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein each of the said arm rests extendsback beyond the said back of the said chair, the rear end of each armrest having an opening therethrough, through which extends one end of alaterally disposed U-shaped rod that has its outer end inwardly turnedand terminating in a recess in a lug or its equivalent that is suitablysecured to, or built into the said back of the said chair.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein each of the said rectangularbridges, which are normally in a vertical position between the said legsof the said chair, is provided with an integrally formed invertedU-shaped member adapted to hook over the top of a longitudinal member 4:that is connected to the upper end of the said legs when it is desiredto place the said bridge in a horizontal position after the arm restshave been swung back out of the way.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein the said invalids chair is providedwith a bridge enclosure on each side thereof in which the lower end ofthe said bridge rests when in the normal vertical position.

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 171,940 1/1876 Kramer 5-392,591,911 4/1952 Block 297-422 3,162,481 12/1964 Gaylor 537 X 3,290,09012/1966 Ford 297-417 X 3,298,735 1/1967 Berman 297-194 X FOREIGN PATENTS823,209 11/1959 Great Britain.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner.

